Browsing All Posts published on »May, 2015«

The parochial mindset of nationally-based companies and trade unions reveals asn ignorance of economic history, including the fact that shareholder companies — a cornerstone of our system — were banned in Britain for 105 years because of their inherent tendency to be corrupt.

Don’t blame workers for poor management. And feel some sympathy for any competent managers, whether in a large school, a government department, or parastatal who often have to deal with a legacy of maladministration, all too often accompanied by levels of corruption.

By comparing last week the pay and conditions of nurses and teachers to those of cabinet ministers and MPs I seem to have touched a raw nerve, especially among paramedics and fire fighters. They too have concerns — and not only about money.

Some critics of South African nurses and teachers who have left to work abroad have dubbed them unpatriotic. They are not. They are part of the international army of migrant labour. In any event, since capital knows no boundaries nor should labour accept any borders .

A wage and welfare gap is one of the prime problems in the SA public service. It's an example of maladministration for which workers should not be blamed. And some sympathy should be extended to competent managers who have to deal with a legacy of maladministration, often coupled with levels of corruption.

It’s a great paradox: as food production has increased, so too, has the amount of hunger in the world. And not because of a rapidly increasing population — there is actually enough food to adequately feed everyone.